Summary
The Primera División de Costa Rica (CRC1), or Liga FPD, or Campeonato Banco Popular, is the top level of league style football competition in Costa Rica. The CRC1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:
- 2021 CONCACAF League Round of 16:
- 2020-2021 Apertura/Clausura champions
- 2021 CONCACAF League Preliminary Round:
- 2020-2021 non-champion with the most 2020-2021 CRC1 Aggregate Table points
If the same team wins both the 2020-2021 Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura, then the runner-up with the most 2020-2021 CRC1 Aggregate Table points from both torneos is awarded the 2nd 2022 CONCACAF League berth.
Leagues Pyramid - Costa Rica
| Abbrev | League | # of Teams |
|---|---|---|
| CRC1 | Campeonato Banco Popular (Liga FPD) | 12 |
| CRC2 | Liga de Ascenso (Segunda División) | 18 |
| CRC3 | Tercera División de Costa Rica | 64 |
Competition Structure
Season | # of Teams | ||
| Apertura - Regular 15 Aug 2020 - 6 Dec 2020 Apertura - Playoffs 9 Dec 2020 - 20 Dec 2020 | Clausura - Regular 12 Jan 2021 - 13 May 2021 Clausura - Playoffs 16 May 2021 - 1 Jun 2021 | 12: CRC1 (11), CRC2 (1) | |
Season Format
Due to COVID-19, for the 2020 Torneo Apertura, the 12 CRC1 teams were split into 2 groups of 6. Each team then played Home-Away matches with the other 5 teams in their group and 1 match against each team in the other group for 16 Regular season league matches per team.
The 2020-2021 CRC1 season is split into two championships, the Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura. In each torneo, each CRC1 team plays Home-Away matches with the other 11 CRC1 teams for 22 Regular season league matches per team. A playoff is held upon the completion of each torneo to determine the torneo champion. Table ranking ties are broken by (1) goal difference, (2) goals scored, (3) head-to-head points, (4) head-to-head goal difference, (5) head-to-head goals scored, then (6) a draw.
Playoffs
Upon completion of the Torneo Apertura, a playoff is held where the top 2 teams in each group compete in the Home-Away highest aggregate goals wins Semifinals. The winner of the Semifinals compete in the Home/Away highest aggregate goals wins Finals. Upon completion of the Torneo Clausura, the top 4 teams in the Home-Away highest aggregate goals wins Semifinals.
Relegation
Upon completion of 2020-2021 Torneo Clausura, the team with the lowest number of 2020-2021 CRC1 Aggregate Table points will be relegated to the CRC2.
More Info...
Relegation Playoffs
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Limón FC (CRC1) | 23 | Sporting San José FC (CRC1) |
| 18.05.21 |  | 01 | Sporting San José FC | Estadio Ebal Rodríguez |
| 25.05.21 | | 22 | Limón FC | Estadio Ernesto Rohrmoser Lahmann | ||
| Limón FC is relegated to CRC2. | ||||||
Clausura - Finals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Deportivo Saprissa | 42 | Herediano |
| 23.05.21 |  | 32 | Herediano | Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá |
| 26.05.21 | | 01 | Deportivo Saprissa | Estadio Colleya Fonseca |
Clausura - Semifinals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Deportivo Saprissa | 65 | LD Alajuelense |
| 16.05.21 | | 43 | LD Alajuelense | Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá |
| 19.05.21 | | 22 | Deportivo Saprissa | Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto-Scotiabank |
| Aggregate | Herediano | 21 | Santos de Guápiles FC |
| 17.05.21 | | 21 | Santos de Guápiles FC | Estadio José Rafael Fello Meza Ivankovich |
| 20.05.21 | | 00 | Herediano | Estadio Ebal Rodríguez |
Torneo Clausura
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1 | LD Alajuelense | 22 | 14 -8-0 | 50 | - | 49 | 12 | 37 | 11 | 6 -5-0 | 23 | 21 | 5 | 16 | 11 | 8 -3-0 | 27 | 28 | 7 | 21 |
| 2 | Santos de Guápiles FC | 22 | 10 -6-6 | 36 | - | 36 | 29 | 7 | 11 | 6 -4-1 | 22 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 4 -2-5 | 14 | 14 | 15 | -1 |
| 3 | Herediano | 22 | 7 -9-6 | 30 | - | 35 | 29 | 6 | 11 | 3 -6-2 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 11 | 4 -3-4 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 4 |
| 4 | Deportivo Saprissa | 22 | 6 -11-5 | 29 | - | 31 | 29 | 2 | 11 | 5 -4-2 | 19 | 22 | 16 | 6 | 11 | 1 -7-3 | 10 | 9 | 13 | -4 |
| 5 | AD San Carlos | 22 | 7 -8-7 | 29 | - | 21 | 24 | -3 | 11 | 4 -3-4 | 15 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 11 | 3 -5-3 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 0 |
| 6 | ADR Jicaral | 22 | 6 -10-6 | 28 | - | 21 | 24 | -3 | 11 | 5 -4-2 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 1 -6-4 | 9 | 8 | 16 | -8 |
| 7 | Pérez Zeledón | 22 | 6 -10-6 | 28 | - | 22 | 29 | -7 | 11 | 3 -4-4 | 13 | 15 | 21 | -6 | 11 | 3 -6-2 | 15 | 7 | 8 | -1 |
| 8 | CS Cartaginés | 22 | 6 -8-8 | 26 | - | 23 | 27 | -4 | 11 | 3 -6-2 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 3 -2-6 | 11 | 13 | 19 | -6 |
| 9 | AD Grecia | 22 | 4 -11-7 | 23 | - | 22 | 29 | -7 | 11 | 2 -5-4 | 11 | 11 | 16 | -5 | 11 | 2 -6-3 | 12 | 11 | 13 | -2 |
| 10 | Sporting San José FC | 22 | 6 -5-11 | 23 | - | 18 | 31 | -13 | 11 | 4 -2-5 | 14 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 11 | 2 -3-6 | 9 | 8 | 20 | -12 |
| 11 | Guadalupe FC | 22 | 4 -10-8 | 22 | - | 33 | 31 | 2 | 11 | 1 -5-5 | 8 | 12 | 18 | -6 | 11 | 3 -5-3 | 14 | 21 | 13 | 8 |
| 12 | Limón FC | 22 | 5 -6-11 | 21 | - | 25 | 42 | -17 | 11 | 3 -3-5 | 12 | 12 | 22 | -10 | 11 | 2 -3-6 | 9 | 13 | 20 | -7 |
Clausura - Semifinals Relegation Playoff | ||||||||||||||||||||
Apertura - Finals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Herediano | 02 | LD Alajuelense |
| 16.12.20 | | 01 | LD Alajuelense | Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica |
| 20.12.20 | | 10 | Herediano | Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto-Scotiabank |
Apertura - Semifinals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | CS Cartaginés | 34 | LD Alajuelense |
| 10.12.20 |  | 23 | LD Alajuelense | Estadio José Rafael Fello Meza Ivankovich |
| 12.12.20 | | 11 | CS Cartaginés | Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto-Scotiabank |
| Aggregate | Herediano | 41 | Deportivo Saprissa |
| 10.12.20 | | 30 | Deportivo Saprissa | Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica |
| 13.12.20 | | 11 | Herediano | Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá |
Torneo Apertura
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| Group A | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | LD Alajuelense | 16 | 12 -1-3 | 37 | - | 36 | 18 | 18 | 8 | 5 -1-2 | 16 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 -0-1 | 21 | 19 | 9 | 10 |
| 2 | Herediano | 16 | 7 -5-4 | 26 | - | 27 | 19 | 8 | 8 | 4 -2-2 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 3 -3-2 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 2 |
| 3 | Guadalupe FC | 16 | 6 -3-7 | 21 | - | 25 | 27 | -2 | 8 | 4 -2-2 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 2 -1-5 | 7 | 9 | 17 | -8 |
| 4 | Pérez Zeledón | 16 | 4 -3-9 | 15 | - | 20 | 34 | -14 | 8 | 2 -3-3 | 9 | 10 | 15 | -5 | 8 | 2 -0-6 | 6 | 10 | 19 | -9 |
| 5 | Santos de Guápiles FC | 16 | 2 -8-6 | 14 | - | 12 | 24 | -12 | 8 | 0 -6-2 | 6 | 5 | 12 | -7 | 8 | 2 -2-4 | 8 | 7 | 12 | -5 |
| 6 | AD Grecia | 16 | 2 -4-10 | 10 | - | 14 | 26 | -12 | 8 | 2 -2-4 | 8 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 8 | 0 -2-6 | 2 | 6 | 15 | -9 |
| Group B | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Deportivo Saprissa | 16 | 9 -3-4 | 30 | - | 29 | 16 | 13 | 8 | 5 -1-2 | 16 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 4 -2-2 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 4 |
| 2 | CS Cartaginés | 16 | 9 -2-5 | 29 | - | 32 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 6 -1-1 | 19 | 19 | 5 | 14 | 8 | 3 -1-4 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 2 |
| 3 | AD San Carlos | 16 | 6 -5-5 | 23 | - | 14 | 15 | -1 | 8 | 4 -3-1 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 2 -2-4 | 8 | 4 | 10 | -6 |
| 4 | Limón FC | 16 | 6 -5-5 | 23 | - | 15 | 24 | -9 | 8 | 4 -2-2 | 14 | 8 | 9 | -1 | 8 | 2 -3-3 | 9 | 7 | 15 | -8 |
| 5 | ADR Jicaral | 16 | 4 -6-6 | 18 | - | 14 | 15 | -1 | 8 | 4 -1-3 | 13 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 0 -5-3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | -3 |
| 6 | Sporting San José FC | 16 | 5 -3-8 | 18 | - | 20 | 24 | -4 | 8 | 4 -0-4 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 1 -3-4 | 6 | 8 | 14 | -6 |
Apertura - Semifinals Relegation Playoff | ||||||||||||||||||||
Results
 | 10 | CS Cartaginés | Cancha de la Asociación Cívica |
 | 31 | Sporting San José FC | Estadio Municipal Pérez Zeledón |
 | 20 | Deportivo Saprissa | Estadio Carlos Ugalde Álvarez |
| 22 | AD Grecia | Estadio Ebal Rodríguez |
| 00 | Guadalupe FC | Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto-Scotiabank |
| 12 | LD Alajuelense | Estadio Ernesto Rohrmoser Lahmann |
| 31 | Santos de Guápiles FC | Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá |
| 03 | Herediano | Estadio Municipal Pérez Zeledón |
| 00 | ADR Jicaral | Estadio Colleya Fonseca |
| 03 | AD San Carlos | Estadio Ebal Rodríguez |
| 20 | AD Grecia | Estadio José Rafael Fello Meza Ivankovich |
| 01 | Pérez Zeledón | Estadio Carlos Ugalde Álvarez |
| 32 | Limón FC | Estadio Ebal Rodríguez |
| 22 | Deportivo Saprissa | Estadio Colleya Fonseca |
| 12 | Sporting San José FC | Cancha de la Asociación Cívica |
| 00 | Guadalupe FC | Estadio Allen Riggioni Suárez |
| 41 | CS Cartaginés | Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto-Scotiabank |
| 22 | Herediano | Estadio Ebal Rodríguez |
| 21 | AD San Carlos | Estadio Allen Riggioni Suárez |